


I'm Gonna' Get You One Way or Another

by Polybaeus



Category: Ancient Carthage RPF, Ancient History RPF, Ancient Rome RPF
Genre: M/M, Second Punic War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3693449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polybaeus/pseuds/Polybaeus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fabius Maximus tries to track down Hannibal Barca but gets a little bit distracted along the way...</p><p>Very short Fannibal (or Habius, if you prefer) one-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Gonna' Get You One Way or Another

Fabius led his men through the forests surrounding the Carthaginian camp. He knew that, very soon, Hannibal would send out a handful of foragers to find more food for the hungry army. Fabius's men surrounded the camp in little clusters, keeping a close eye on Hannibal's men.

'Do not let a single person out of your sight,' he hissed. 'When you see someone leave the safety of the camp, pass it around softly, and we will attack them.'

After three miserable defeats at the hand of the skilled Carthaginian leader, the Romans decided that they needed a new strategy as to how they would tear Hannibal down. Fabius was the first to volunteer and had promptly been appointed dictator.

'We will kick Hannibal in the stomach!' he had announced. 'For we will deprive him of food and his army will grow hungry, but also because we can cause him great damage this way without engaging in open warfare.'

It had received mixed reviews. Some people hailed it as military genius. Hannibal was one of those people. Even though Fabius was his enemy, Hannibal did appreciate the wisdom of his strategy and often wondered why the Romans had not tried it before. However, there were people like Scipio the Younger and Varro who believed that Fabius's tactics were weak and the Romans appeared to be giving into Hannibal. At this, the Carthaginian general laughed. He had never known how great a weapon Roman pride would be, and how favourable to him it would ever be. Hannibal was clever. The Romans did not know this, and it was exactly what Hannibal was counting on. _Let Fabius come and have his fun,_ he thought. _The Romans will not let him do this forever. We can wait._

When he first heard about the disastrous loss at Lake Trasimene, Fabius was horrified. He knew both Flaminius and Geminus well, and knew them to both be skilled generals. But to be defeated in battle so decisively... Fabius knew from that moment that they were fighting a military genius who bore the eternal name Hannibal Barca.

That was why he was there, waiting outside Hannibal's camp.

Fabius sighed lethargically. He didn't really want to be doing this. He wished that Rome could just make a deal with Hannibal- maybe even get him on side! _Imagine,_ thought Fabius, _Rome and Carthage working together._ It would surely be the most terrifying army to have ever walked the earth. Yet in his heart, Fabius knew that he could not approach Hannibal. Rome would never accept it. Rome was so determined to be strong, powerful and assertive of its might in the world that it would walk into suicidal battles against the greatest military genius they had ever known.

Hannibal. Fabius often found himself thinking about Hannibal. He wondered what it was that made him such an incredible commander. He wondered why people flocked to him so readily. He wondered how he had managed to get his soldiers to agree to march through Iberia, over the Alps and down through Italy. If Fabius ever proposed that to the senate, they would strip him of his honours and send him to be a shepherd in Gaul. He knew that Hannibal had to be one of the most charismatic, inspiring men in all the world. _His soldiers must love him,_ thought Fabius. _I can't blame them..._

Then he heard the rustling of leaves around him. His own band of men were growing anxious.

'They're there,' murmured one of them. 'Should we go?' he asked, turning to his leader.

However, Fabius was unresponsive. He was caught up in his own mind, thinking about Hannibal. He didn't know if it was confusion, admiration or even something different.

'Should we go, Fabius?' asked another, a little louder this time.

Yes, it was something different. It had to be. Of course Fabius was confused as to how Hannibal could be so brilliant. Of course he admired the military skill of the Carthaginian. But he also...

'Fabius, should we go?' he repeated, raising his voice almost dangerously loud.

'Yes,' mumbled Fabius, trying to gather his thoughts. 'Go, go! Go and get them!'

Obedient as ever, his soldiers chased after the scavengers sent by Hannibal to collect food. They quickly cut them down, depriving the Carthaginian army of a few good men and another day's worth of food.

But for Fabius, it just didn't give him the satisfaction he knew it would give his men. He was bored of this all. Bored of trying to chase Hannibal without ever actually seeing the man himself...


End file.
